Back in Denver, away from the New York microscope, Carmelo Anthony let out a sigh Monday in the tunnels beneath the Pepsi Center. He was welcomed home with more questions about a possible trade.

The forward was the center of heightened trade talk over the weekend when the Nuggets were in New York as part of their four-game road trip.

“I think it’s just more of the drama,” Anthony said Monday. “I was (in New York); I guess it was just a hot topic to talk about. But I’m not worried about that right now. That’s not my focus right now. My focus is trying to get some wins.”

Does he think a trade is imminent? Anthony reiterated his stance that he would accept staying in Denver.

“Of course,” he said. “I’ve been here for seven years. This is my eighth season. I don’t mind calling this thing home. After eight years, if you’ve been in any place for eight years, that’s going to be home. This community embraced me like I was their own.

“Like I said before, I just want to really focus on basketball right now and let the business take care of the business when that time comes.”

Nuggets coach George Karl acknowledged the constant rumors could become a distraction, especially as the Feb. 24 trade deadline nears.

“Sure, it’s a distraction, as much as the heat will get more intense,” Karl said. “I don’t think there’s any question that we realize that. That’s where we’re at.

“I can’t deny that New York had a lot of cameras there, a lot of attention to him,” Karl added. “Melo, as long as he’s a Nugget, I’m going to coach him and be happy with him.”

Lawson lighting it up.

A bright spot in the 1-3 road trip was the growing confidence of backup guard Ty Lawson, who played good to great in each of the past three contests.

“I’m not deferring anymore. Making a play,” Lawson said. “Stop trying to defer, knowing I can make a play like everybody else. Just attacking.”

In the Boston game, Lawson had 24 points, seven assists and three steals. He played fairly well in Toronto (3-for-6 shooting) and then excelled in New York, scoring 18 points with two assists and nary a turnover.

He said it.

“We need to continue to play together. We need to focus at the end of the game. In my mind, I have my responsibility to defend my man, stop my man. If everyone has that mentality, we’re going to be fine.” — Nene, on Denver’s defense

Orlando at Denver

7 p.m. tonight, ALT and NBA-TV, 950 AM

Spotlight on Dwight Howard: The imposing superhuman is a chore on both ends of the court. He was the Eastern Conference player of the month for October/November, averaging 21.8 points per game and 12.1 rebounds, while shooting 59.4 percent from the floor. He continues to dominate. Just ask Denver’s division rivals, the Trail Blazers. At Portland on Thursday, Howard scored 39 points.

Nuggets: It will be Nuggets coach George Karl’s first home game since notching his 1,000th career victory Friday at Toronto. Karl said he would have liked to get win No. 1,000 at home but was happy to hit it Friday. Denver had lost two in a row after Karl hit No. 999. “I didn’t want the monkey to grow much longer. It was becoming more of a burden than a celebration,” Karl said Monday. . . . Last season, the Nuggets split the two-game season series with the Magic, with each team winning at home.

Magic: Orlando ranks second in the league in opponent’s total rebounds allowed (38.1) and second in opponent’s offensive rebounds (9.2). . . . Guard Chris Duhon is day to day with a lower back strain. . . . The Magic is 7-5 on the road this season. . . . Under coach Stan Van Gundy, the Magic is 86-49 on the road (.637, 135 games).

Benjamin Hochman was a sports columnist for The Denver Post until August 2015 before leaving for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, his hometown newspaper. Hochman previously worked for the New Orleans Times-Picayune, winner of two Pulitzer Prizes for its Hurricane Katrina coverage. Hochman wrote the Katrina-themed book “Fourth and New Orleans,” published in 2007.

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